Pay With Square | Pay By Voice

I’m a frustrated shopaholic. But because I don’t earn much to acquire all I want, I just close my eyes and pray fervently for a mall wide sale. Well, it works so far. And when I see those red banners hanging with bold 50% off, I swear, I can stand for hours in snaking queues just to get to the counter. Being a traditional that I am, I always use cash in purchasing. Although I’m tempted to get that rectangular plastic (the card thing), for convenience, I kind of hold back. 

Yeah, I like the idea that you just need to swipe away but I don’t want to add up the list of people who had their credit cards stolen, worst- misuse. But if what I’m after is “convenience” and “security” when shopping, then this pay by voice is just the right thing for me and maybe for you as well.

Let’s go back to its history. In 2010, the company called “Square” wowed the market with its invention of a credit card reader in a shape of a tiny white plastic square. Its co-founder Jack Dorsey-, who also co-founded Twitter, was definitely making a deviant action to what is the mainstream. 

Photo: New York Times

How? Of course, it erases the idea that only actual companies can accept credit cards. Now it offers a chance, to swipe your card when you pay a cab, shop in a garage sale and even to your pals. All you need to have is an iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch, an Android phone or a tablet. Sign up with Square so you can get their fancy card reader for free. Just attach it into the headphone jack of your gadget and then it will let you swipe people’s credit cards. That was pretty smart indeed. And they got two million Americans, to date, happily swiping.

Think it’s cool? Well, they’ve got something way cooler. They call it “Pay with Square”. You just have to say your name to pay. Yeah, you read it right. Before you walk into a shop, your name and thumbnail photo will appear on the cashier’s iPad screen since you’re within the premises. When you’re done shopping, just say your name at the counter and the cashier compares your actual face with the photo on their iPad’s screen, taps on OK and bingo – transaction is complete.

On a recent report in New York Times, it says that you set up Square’s phone app by choosing your photo and linking your credit card. With the use of GPS, this app will show you a list of shops and cafes near you that offers “Pay With Square”.  As of now, Square says they already have 75,000 merchants already on a roll with their “Pay With Square”. And for all of you out there who loves the word “discount” just like me, Square have recently upgraded their system. Merchants can now offer first-visit discounts, 10th visit rewards and other bonuses; all these on your phone app list.  I bet they’re raising another breed of shopaholics.